How decreasing caloric intake and/or increasing caloric expenditure can affect your weight

Published:  06/01/2013

Your weight is determined generally by the balance of calories - how many you burn vs. how many you eat each day. To lose weight, you need to increase your activity to burn more and/or eat fewer calories each day.

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to expend 3500 more calories than you eat that week, either through increased activity or decreased caloric intake or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a reasonable goal, and so it is best to use the combination of increased activity and eating less that will total 3500 calories for 7 days.

Here is an illustration that will help understand how decreasing caloric intake and/or increasing caloric expenditure can affect your weight.

Assuming that you need 2160 calories per day to maintain your current weight without exercise.

If you reduce your caloric intake to 1660 calories per day you will lose 1 pound per week without exercise.

Add 30 minutes cardio exercise and you lose half a pound more (for a 160 pound person who does a 30 minute workout on the elliptical trainer). FYI, a 160 person walking at a very brisk 4.0 mph pace for 30 minutes, burns only 150 calories)

So, if you exercise 30 minutes a day and eat 1660 calories a day, theoretically you can lose 1.5 # a week.

What happens if you increase the length of your workout to 60 minutes of cardio a day? Another ½ pound!

If you exercise 60 minutes a day and eat 1660 calories a day, theoretically you can lose 2 # a week.